{"title":"South African child report of caregiver attunement as a mechanism to decrease engagement in risky sexual situations and depression","authors":"Tyrone M. Parchment, Latoya A. Small","doi":"10.1080/17450128.2022.2075066","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Research regarding South African caregivers’ protective parenting behaviors that can improve youth well-being in early adolescence is limited. Therefore, this study explored the affective and protective aspects of adult caregiving that influence mental health and possible engagement in sexual situations among Black South African early adolescents. Structural Equation Modeling was employed using baseline data from 577 youth to examine caregiver communication’s mediating effect on the relationship between child-report of caregiver attunement, child depressive symptoms, and possible engagement in sexual situations. The findings suggested that Black South African caregivers can provide a protective role in reducing the risk of engagement in sexual situations while improving child mental health. Therefore, caregiver communication and attunement are vital mechanisms that build family resilience and child well-being.","PeriodicalId":46101,"journal":{"name":"Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies","volume":"18 1","pages":"100 - 112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7000,"publicationDate":"2022-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17450128.2022.2075066","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"FAMILY STUDIES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
ABSTRACT Research regarding South African caregivers’ protective parenting behaviors that can improve youth well-being in early adolescence is limited. Therefore, this study explored the affective and protective aspects of adult caregiving that influence mental health and possible engagement in sexual situations among Black South African early adolescents. Structural Equation Modeling was employed using baseline data from 577 youth to examine caregiver communication’s mediating effect on the relationship between child-report of caregiver attunement, child depressive symptoms, and possible engagement in sexual situations. The findings suggested that Black South African caregivers can provide a protective role in reducing the risk of engagement in sexual situations while improving child mental health. Therefore, caregiver communication and attunement are vital mechanisms that build family resilience and child well-being.
期刊介绍:
Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies is an essential peer-reviewed journal analyzing psychological, sociological, health, gender, cultural, economic, and educational aspects of children and adolescents in developed and developing countries. This international publication forum provides a much-needed interdisciplinary focus on vulnerable children and youth at risk, specifically in relation to health and welfare issues, such as mental health, illness (including HIV/AIDS), disability, abuse, neglect, institutionalization, poverty, orphanhood, exploitation, war, famine, and disaster.